Tig

13,350 stars — tracking started 2026-10-02. Check back in a few days for growth history.

An ncurses-based text-mode interface for exploring a Git repository's history.

What it does

Tig is a terminal repository browser built on top of plain git — it renders commit graphs, diffs, and blame views as navigable ncurses screens, and can also work as a pager for the output of ordinary git log/git diff commands. It predates both LazyGit and GitUI and is maintained by Jonas Fonseca.

Why people use it

• Fast, keyboard-driven way to browse history, diffs, and blame without leaving the terminal
• Doubles as a git log/git show pager, so it slots into an existing git-CLI habit rather than replacing it
• Chunk/line-level staging for building up a commit incrementally
• Minimal dependency (ncurses + git), so it runs comfortably anywhere a terminal does, including older or resource-constrained machines

Pros

• One of the longest-running, most battle-tested terminal git browsers — a stable, predictable tool rather than a fast-moving one
• Very low resource footprint; starts instantly even on large repositories' history views
• Works as both a standalone browser and a drop-in pager for other git commands

Cons

• Interface conventions (vi-style navigation, C-era menus) feel dated next to newer Rust-based terminal UIs
• Staging and commit-authoring workflows are less central than in LazyGit or GitUI, which were designed around day-to-day staging first

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